Holy Cross News - September 2008
As a comparative newcomer with only approximately 20 years’ association with Holy Cross church, I have had to turn to more longstanding members for their memories.  Bob and Barbara Nicholson moved to Palmarsh Stores in 1955, Christine Butcher was Holy Cross born and bred, and Iris and Alex Whitelaw came to live in Palmarsh in 1968.Barbara remembers worshipping in Palmarsh Hall and moved to Holy Cross when the church was built.  Canon Newman was the vicar, with Tony Bridge as his curate in training. 

The only Sunday morning service was 8 o’clock said communion, later moved to 8.30, and evensong with accompanying choir was held at 6.30pm in summer and 3.30pm in winter.  When Canon Norman Woods changed the Sunday morning service to a 9.30 Family Communion, hymns and a sermon were introduced and the 8am said communion was moved to Saturday.  The passing years have seen Sunday evensong dropped and the morning service moved to 11.15am and then back to its present 10am, with a non-eucharistic service on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month.  When the morning service moved to 9.30 Barbara was not able to attend Holy Cross because of shop opening hours, until her retirement.

When the Sunday service was at 8am the Sunday School met later in the morning in church, but after the 9.30 service was introduced Palmarsh Hall was hired.  Christine Butcher attended Sunday School from about the age of four and has a very clear memory of making a felt angel with pink face and wings and a blue robe!  The Superintendent in those days was Mr K P Martin; he was followed by Mrs Evans.  Syd and Joan Steed were also in charge at one time and Iris Whitelaw, who was “volunteered” by her daughter Belinda, led the Sunday School from 1978 to 1991.  She has happy memories of watching the Sunday School children grow and flourish, marry and care for their own children.  She says, “We enjoyed many outings, nature walks and a week-end sail out of Dover harbour.  All our events were well supported by the children’s parents.”

Barbara remembers Crosslink, a Tuesday outreach and fellowship morning, as she had a board advertising it to put outside the shop each week.  Syd Steed used to waylay customers inviting them round the corner to church where they found a cup of coffee, friendship and support in times of difficulty.  The ladies sat and sewed the banners that for many years adorned the walls of Holy Cross.

Once every three or four months a social evening was held in Palmarsh Hall with competitions, games and dancing which Syd accompanied on the piano.  The evenings always ended with hymn-singing.  Barbara provided 2d chocolate bars from the shop as prizes.

Barbara and Iris both have fond memories of Mrs Hogston, or “Hoggy”.  Iris writes that she was “a former Churchwarden, who would arrive early to supplement the electric heating with paraffin stoves.  She was a gifted seamstress and was responsible for making the red chasuble and altar frontal.  She also played the piano for the children, teaching them ‘Be glad and sing for Jesus is alive’ which they sang with great enthusiasm.  Always with a flower in her hat, she played the organ and led the choir that sang for evensong.”  Among the choristers were Gordon and Olive Holman, Mr and Mrs Ivory and Miss King.

Nan Higgs in her cleaning and sorting of the vestry has discovered a visitors book containing the signatures of 121 people who attended a flower festival held at Holy Cross from 13th – 15th September 1969.  This provides a fascinating reminder of the residents of Palmarsh and Hythe in those days, although visitors came from as far afield as Yorkshire, North Wales and Cornwall!

We would all I am sure echo Iris when she says that the most powerful memories she has of Holy Cross are the people she has been privileged to know there.

With best wishes,
Anne Tolputt.